The Newsletter of Brooksville Friends & Neighbors Summer 2009 A Visit to David’s Folly joan maccracken As I enter the kitchen at David’s Folly, Conor is stirring a pot on the stove. We greet each other, and he asks if I have had lunch. I fib, replying “Yes, thanks.” On the counter within easy reach of the chef are small lids filled with colorful spices of curry, paprika, ground cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and sea salt, along with the seeds of mustard, cumin, and coriander—basic ingredients for Indian cuisine. Having returned this spring from the winter in India, Conor gives me a brief minilesson on cooking with these seeds. Before Leigh, his partner, returns for lunch and our interview, I learn more about Conor Beliveau. His father came from Rumford, his mother, Bangor. Born in Augusta, Conor was raised in Hallowell, attending Hall-Dale High School. After attending Colby College, majoring in French and International Relations, he worked for five seasons as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. A vagabond by choice, he traveled extensively inside and outside the USA, working in various trades. His path took him to New Orleans post-Katrina in the spring of 2006, where he worked with a small nonprofit grassroots relief organization. Just as Conor is telling me that he met Leigh in New Orleans, she appears at the kitchen door and comes in for late lunch and the interview. With an irresistible aroma filling the room and with an empty stomach, I confess and joyfully join them for a savory vegetarian dish. The chef apologizes for the crunchy legumes which he says he should have soaked overnight. Each bite is delicious! Leigh Tillman shares a bit of her background…. born in Maryland, high school in Ellicott City, MD, attended Connecticut College with a major in anthropology and creative writing. I interrupt to enthusiastically invite her to write for The Breeze sometime. She smiles. After college, Leigh took to the road and sea, visiting Hawaii, Asia, the South Pacific, and Alaska, “working on random projects with kids.” Eventually, she landed in New Orleans to aid in relief for Katrina victims. And the rest is history, so to speak. Two years ago they headed to Maine, both seeking a rural lifestyle. On a farm in Whitefield, Maine, they worked the land. It was there that they first heard about David’s Folly. A friend suggested they follow up on a lead—the property manager for Donald Sussman, the Continued on Page 2 ©2009 LESLIE MOORE Page 2 The Brooksville Breeze David’s Folly (continued from Page 1) new owner of David’s Folly and a regional philanthropist, was looking for caretakers for an 1819 saltwater farm in Brooksville, Maine. After briefly investigating the idea, Conor and Leigh arrived last May to live and work at David’s Folly, which has stood dormant for several years. Promptly, the couple planted a large vegetable garden and sold produce at the new Brooks ville Farmers’ Market. Eliot Coleman’s sage advice was welcomed, and Eliot remains a great mentor. The arrival of Phil Retberg’s herd of BueLingo cows (not Belted Galloways) created a pastoral scene but, alas, the fields are too wet and grasses too low in nutrients to sustain the herd. Dreams of a dairy farm remain just that, for now. Last summer a team of carpenters saved the old big red barn making major structural repairs. Its future use remains unclear. Both Conor and Leigh have enjoyed meeting the many locals who spontaneously drop in to see what’s going on. It is apparent that the community feels a connection to the place and wants to see it remain on the Brooksville landscape. The couple wants to nurture that sense of community involvement. Leigh admits that many challenges with today’s regulations probably prevent David’s Folly from returning to a Bed and Breakfast, but along with their neighbors, the Tinder Hearth/Valley of the Stars organization just down the Coastal Road, they are imagining ways to enhance the agricultural/cultural/ arts community in Brooksville. Now they have lots to keep On Sunday, August 30, Becky Poole will present the history of David’s Folly at the Brooksville Historical Society Annual Meeting. Leigh and Conor, Brooksville’s own American Gothic photo by Joan MacCracKen them busy. The new greenhouse that they built has given them a head start, and the huge garden is quickly filling with energetic seedlings. They are excited to offer their own David’s Folly Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) memberships with three share options—full share ($500), partial share ($385 for 11 weeks versus 17), and half share ($250). Weekly boxes will be prepared with a wide variety of fresh produce from the garden starting the end of June. Opportunities for self-picking as well as discounts on other products are available to members. Leigh and Conor would be delighted to help shut-ins receive weekly produce at a reduced price and catered especially to their individual needs. For further information on the CSA, check out the website at www.davidsfollyfarm.com or call 326-4445. This summer they will be at the Farmers’ Market in Brooksville, Stonington, and Castine. And if you don’t know what to do with kale or collards, they’ll even provide yummy recipes for their vegetables. Their enthusiasm for David’s Folly, Brooksville, and the good life is palpable. As I end the interview and walk out past their 1982 turbo diesel Mercedes that runs on recycled cooking oil from Dennett’s restaurant in Castine, I can sense Minerva Cutler smiling down from above, thoroughly enjoying the new action at her David’s Folly. Page 3 Summer 2009 Tidal Currents of the Bagaduce BOB TREDWELL There are two things that people call “the tide.” First is the tide: it is high or low, rising or falling. It measures the depth of water over a particular point. The second is the tidal current: it floods (flows inland), ebbs (flows toward the sea) or is slack. The tide doesn’t matter much to canoes or kayaks, since they draw only a few inches, but the tidal current matters a lot. Let’s look at the tidal current in the Bagaduce River. The Bagaduce is a series of pools with narrow places between. The first narrows is at Jones Point—the northernmost point in Brooksville and just up the river from the Seal Ledges Marina in Penobscot. Above Jones Point is the first pool: it is Northern Bay and Southern Bay together. Next comes the second narrows, between Johnson Point in Penobscot and Green Island at the end of the Young’s Point Road in Brooksville. Above the Green Island Narrows is Herrick Bay—the second pool—and above Herrick Bay is the narrows at the bridge beside Bagaduce Lunch. There are two more pools and another narrows above the bridge; but we can show how the tidal current works by considering these two pools and three narrows. LEARN SOMETHING NEW THIS SUMMER! This summer a new series of workshops will be held in West Brooksville. Tinderhearth Collective and David’s Folly Farm are hosting a variety of events of interest to all ages. Please check the Brooksville bulletin board and the Tinderhearth website (www.Tinderhearth.org) for regular updates. To RSVP for any event, please contact Lake Larsson at [email protected] or 326-4563 or Leigh Tillman at 3264445 or [email protected]. Beginner Ukulele Class—Monday nights, 6:30 pm, June 29-July 27 Iyengar Yoga—Tuesday nights, 6:30 pm, July 7-August 18 Healthy Back Workshop—offered two Saturdays, July 18 & July 25, 9 am Middle Eastern Dance—Thursday nights, 7 pm, June 11-July 30 Qi Gong—Tuesday morning, July 15 Paint with Acrylics—with Anne Poole, Tuesday mornings, July 28 & August 4, 10–2 pm. For youth. In the Garden at David’s Folly—Saturday mornings, July 11, August 22 & September 5, 9 am–1 pm. Come help with garden projects for the morning and then gather for a big garden feast. They will also be hosting other art workshops, how to make and throw a boomerang, a sewing workshop, Spanish workshops, educational hikes, other children’s activities, dance, music events and much, much more. So check the website! It’s low tide at Castine. The tide is ebbing at Jones Point, ebbing at Green Island, and ebbing at Bagaduce Lunch, so each of the pools is filling at the top and emptying at the bottom. Now the tide begins to rise. Eventually, it reaches the level of the water in Northern and Southern Bays. At that time, an event occurs at Jones Point that is called “Low-water slack: flood begins.” Because the water level is the same on both sides of the narrows, the current stops ebbing, goes slack, and shortly begins to run upstream—flooding toward the first pool, Northern and Southern Bay. Notice that this is not low tide; the tide has been rising for about an hour and fifteen minutes before low-water slack at Jones Point. And look what is happening in the first pool: the current is flooding at Jones Point, but it is still ebbing at Green Island. In other words, the first pool is filling from both ends. If you were a kayaker paddling downstream, you would find it easy to get into the pool, but hard to get out because you would meet the current at Jones Point. The tide continues to rise, and the first pool is filled from both ends. Eventually, the water level in the first pool reaches the level of Herrick Bay. When that happens, we get “Low-water slack, flood begins” at Green Island. Now the first pool is filling at the bottom and emptying at the top, and Herrick Bay (the second pool) is filling Continued on Page 4 Page 4 The Brooksville Breeze Tidal Currents (continued from Page 3) from both ends. This continues until Herrick Bay reaches the level of the pool above the bridge at Bagaduce Lunch. At that point we have low-water slack at the bridge: the current stops ebbing, goes slack, and begins to flood at the bridge. Back at Castine, the tide continues to rise, and now the current is flooding at all three narrows. High tide passes, but the sea is still higher than the first pool, and the current continues to flood at the three narrows. As the tide falls, after about an hour, it gets down to the level of the first pool. At this point, we have “High-water slack, ebb begins” at Jones point. As the tide continues to fall, the first pool is soon emptying at both ends… still adding water to Herrick Bay through Green Island Narrows, but now losing water at Jones Point; and the current is still flooding at the Bagaduce Lunch. About forty-five minutes later, enough water has drained out of the first pool to bring it down to the level of Herrick Bay, and we have high-water slack at Green Island Narrows. Herrick Bay be- gins to empty at both ends, and in another twenty minutes falls to the level of the pool above the bridge. So then we have high-water slack there. At this point the tide is ebbing through all three narrows, and this continues until the cycle begins again at low tide. Now some lessons from all this, and some numbers. Lowwater slack occurs at Jones Point about two hours after low tide at Castine. Low-water slack occurs at Green Island almost an hour after Jones Point, and at Bagaduce Lunch about half an hour after Green Island. That is, low-water slack moves up the river. But so does high-water slack! Highwater slack occurs at Jones Point about an hour after high tide at Castine. High-water slack is about 40 minutes later at Green Island, and about 20 minutes after that at Bagaduce Lunch. Moral: if you want an easy and comfortable ride on the Bagaduce, paddle upstream. If you get to Jones Point just as the tide there begins to flood, you will be at Green Island just as the tide begins to flood there, and at Baga- SUMMER RENTAL Lords Cove Cottage in West Brooksville is nestled among woods and fields near the Bagaduce. It is available by the week. In June, Sept. and Oct., the rate is $475. July and August are $575. Fully furnished and equipped. Good access to shore. Put yourself or family/friends here when they come to visit. It’ll be fun. Holds 4 easily. Pets negotiable. Mention this ad for a $25 discount. [email protected] or 207-610-3313 duce Lunch in time for a scallop plate while you wait for the current to wash you under the bridge and on up the river. On the other hand, if you are coming down the river, one of two things must happen: either you will have the current in your face somewhere, or else, if you wait for highwater slack at the Lunch, the current will be going like a millrace at Jones Point by the time you get there. Now paddling down through Jones Point Narrows with the tide running hard behind you is not all that bad, but it is perhaps more exciting than some of us older folks look forward to. If you want to get the times for slack tide and strength of current, they are published by NOAA for Jones Point. The address on the internet is http:tidesandcurrents. noaa.gov. Choose “current tables” on the main page, and “East Penobscot Bay” for the region at the next page. The table you are looking for is “Jones Point, Bagaduce River.” You can figure the slacks for the other narrows from there. Happy paddling! Page 5 Summer 2009 Cast Off and Sail Away! JOAN MacCRACKEN This summer, why not view the scraggy shoreline of Penobscot Bay from the deck of a 44-foot, 17-ton steel-hulled ketch, named Perelandra. Based out of South Brooksville, Captain LeCain Smith offers flexible, seasonal charters for up to six passengers who wish to spend 2, 3, 4 hours or a full day sailing in the winds of the Bay, cruising down Eggemoggin Reach, perhaps under the Deer Isle Bridge, circumnavigating Hog, Eagle or Pond Island, catching a glimpse of a windjammer or two from Camden, or just relaxing on deck while breathing the freshest air around. Born and raised in Ogunquit, Maine, Lee was introduced as a child to the sea by his father and grandfather. After spending five years in Port Townsend, Washington, building Perelandra, Captain Lee traveled around the world on a 50,000 mile voyage for six years with his mate, Sheila Moir. He has held a Coast Guard license for 35 years and sailed more than 100,000 miles on various ships. With this experience under his belt, he is highly competent to offer consultations for want-to-be bluewater cruisers, for yacht appraisals and inspections, and is even available to deliver yachts to distant harbors. The couple moved to Brooksville in 1998 and now live on Cape Rosier in the house previously owned by Lynwood and Lura Farr. While extended voyages have been put aside, they keep busy with their small publishing company, Windrose Productions, established in 1986. Their first book, Steel Away, describes steel boatbuilding and design. A video presenting intimate, real-life footage of the people living on remote islands of the South Pacific, Far Away, should be enjoyed on a long Maine winter’s evening with dreams of Bali Hai. The amazing history of Brooksville’s maritime activities so intrigued Captain Lee that he researched and published with the help of the Brooksville Historical Society his book, The Maritime History of Brooksville, in 2002, which promptly sold out after its second printing. Their latest publication is along a different vein but supports their passion for holistic health and well-being. The Maine Directory of Complementary & Alternative Health Practitioners was published in 2008 and provides information on 421 practitioners who promote over 192 different bodywork modalities in 131 towns. As the summer season approaches, the captain once again begins to focus on his ketch and the sea breezes. Engine to over- haul, sails to strengthen, bottom to paint, and then Perelandra will slip back into the waters of Penobscot Bay, ready to provide all comers with an unforgettable chance to sail away. The charters run through Columbus Day, so pick your day and hop aboard. And at the end of your voyage, grab a cool drink at Buck’s Harbor Market, and you might be lucky enough to see Sheila where she has worked for many years. For more information, books, videos, charter rates and reservations, visit www.WindroseAway. com or call 326-4279. RECIPE CORNER Karl’s Mug Cake— Love It or Hate It “That’s the worst piece of chocolate cake I ever ate. Karl, you better stick to engineering.” Your Neighbor “Delicious, Karl, and just three minutes prep time. The wonders of microwave. Got any more speedy recipes?” A Chocoholic Non-Cook Page 6 Activities Brooksville Elementary School Graduation: June 16, 7 pm, BES • Brooksville to Alaska, Iditarod 2011 Project Fundraisers: Breakfast at Community Center, July 25 • Supper at Community Center, Aug. 8 • Breakfast at Community Center, Aug. 15 • Students will be selling items at Farmers’ Market • Info: [email protected] Brooksville Free Public Library Hours: see box to right • June 23: Friends of the Library’s Annual Meeting with guest speaker Charles Flood on new book, 1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History, potluck dinner at 5:30 pm • Children’s Summer Reading Program begins June 20 • Annual Book Sale at Town House, July 11, 9 am–12 noon • Annual House Tour: Sun., Aug 9, 1-4 pm. • Info: 326-4560 or www.brooksvillelibrary.org Brooksville Historical Society meets every second Wed. of the month at 7 pm at the Town House. All are welcome • Annual Meeting: Aug. 30 • Info: 326-0899 • [email protected] Majabigwaduce Chapter DAR 2nd Monday of each month, 6:30–8 pm, Brooksville Town House • Info: 326-8570 • [email protected] Neighborcare Neighbors helping neighbors. Volunteers provide free health-related services, respite, transportation, errands, etc. Call Jeannie Gaudette for assistance or to volunteer at 326-4735 West Brooksville Congregational Church, UCC Worship at 10 am • Rev. Allen Myers • Info: 326-8283 The Brooksville Breeze Brooksville United Methodist Church Buck’s Harbor Sanctuary: Sundays, 9 am • Rev. Gary Vencill & David Vandiver • Info: 469-7850 Brooksville Community Center Call for information about events or rentals • Betsy Jones, 326-8296 Brooksville Friends and Neighbors 1st Wed. of every month, 6:30–8 pm, Town House • Info: 326-0916 The Keepers Yard Sale at Club House: June 27, 7 am–1 pm Local Historical Societies Touring Through Time: July 25-26 • Opening of Olde General Store, Penobscot Historical Society: July 25 Open Mic Open Mic starts weekly summer schedule on Sun., June 22 • Info: Tim or Lake, 326-9266 Contemplative Prayer Irregular Wednesdays, 4:30 pm; call for schedule • Anne and Tony Ferrara’s house • Info: 326-8564 Meditation Tibetan Buddhist: Thursdays, 6–7 pm • Info: Philip & Lydia Osgood, 326-4047 Brooksville Yoga Unique combination of yoga and Yamuna Ball Rolling • Tues or Thurs, 8–9:30 am, Foundations • Wed, 8–10 am, Continuing • Instructor: Alison Chase • Info: 326-4205 Get Strong, Get Healthy Exercise at the Community Center • Mon., Wed. & Fri., 7:30–8:45 am Leader: Sylvia Wilder • Info: 326-4801 Harborside Fourth of July Parade July 4, 10 am. Join in the fun and games, but don’t be late! Brooksville Farmers’ Market Every Tuesday from June 2 until mid October, 9–11 am, Community Center parking lot. To List Your Event Call or e-mail information two weeks before Sept. 1, Dec.1, March 1 & June 1: Joan MacCracken, 326-0916 e-mail: [email protected] Town Office 326-4518 Monday 9 am–2 pm Wednesday 9 am–2 pm Thursday 6 pm–8 pm Selectman Town Clerk Treasurer Tax Collector John Gray Richard Bakeman Darryl Fowler Amber Bakeman Freida Peasley Yvonne Redman Burn Permits at Fire Station Thursdays from 7–8 pm Harbormaster Sarah Cox 326-9622 Library 326-4560 Monday 9 am–5 pm Wednesday 9 am–5 pm Thursday 6 pm–8 pm Saturday 9 am–12 noon Post Office Window Mon.–Fri. 8:30 am–12:15 pm 2 pm–4:15 pm Saturday 8:30–10:30 am Post Office Lobby Mon.–Fri. 7 am–4:45 pm Saturday 7 am–11 am Buck’s Harbor Market 326-8683 Mon.-Fri. 7 am–7 pm Sat. & Sun. 8 am–7 pm : Page 7 Summer 2009 CLASS OF 2009 ng o C ! s n o i at To Our l u t ra Graduating Seniors and Their Families Trisha Bakeman would advise incoming GSA freshmen to participate in lots of activities. She followed her own advice—Student Council, indoor and outdoor track, and an International Student Ambassador. She’s thrilled to make National Honor Society. Born in the Philippines, Trisha has lived in Brooksville since age one. Trisha loves Brooksville but plans to live in a city for a while. She will attend Babson College in Wellesley, MA, next year and hopes to go into investment banking and finance. Rosalind Brokaw enjoyed good friends and participating in many extracurricular activities, like soccer, tennis, music in Jazz Combo at GSA. In August she’ll head west to Colorado College to study environmental studies. Born in Idaho, she lived in NH, and then moved to Maine for kindergarten. She believes that Brooksville is far away from the action, but “You can’t beat it in the summer.” Roz would also encourage incoming freshmen to branch out and try new things in high school. (Congrats to Rosalind on being named Valedictorian at GSA) Nikos Christ loves running long distance track and has done so for three years at GSA. He attended BES in 7th and 8th grade after moving here from Bethesda, Maryland, and previously living in Belize and Kenya. He’ll attend George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, next fall. At this time he is considering a career in journalism or the media. For the summer he will be working somewhere around the Peninsula and has previously worked at Hiram Blake Camp. He definitely plans to travel to foreign lands in the future. Adam Groves has lived in Brooksville all his life and was home schooled until 7th grade. He attended BES for 7th and 8th. At GSA he played varsity soccer for three years, sailed, and wrestled. For four years he was on the student council. Club travel soccer for three years included a trip to England. Adam advises freshmen to “Keep an open mind, don’t limit yourself. There are lots of options even in the small school.” This summer he will work at the yacht club, then travel to France investigating wine-making. Later he hopes to head out West. At this time college is not in his plans. Donald “Bear” Hale attended BES and will graduate from GSA where he wrestled for three years. He has enjoyed mixed martial arts with Team Irish in Brewer. Both of his parents were in the Air Force, and Bear is now contemplating either the Marines or the Coast Guard. But, for this summer, he will work at Merrill and Hinckley and enjoy his time around the Peninsula. His advice to freshmen, “Work hard your first three years and then enjoy your senior year.” Dylan Howard will graduate from GSA but has attended for two years the Hancock County Technical Center in Ellsworth where he has focused on film production. This year he won the Gold Medal State Championship in Film Making (short documentary). He will take a year off, heading to California to study feature films. The following year he has been accepted to the New York Film Academy. His interest in film began after his 8th grade when he took a three-week film course at the Grand in Ellsworth. He has a dream to change people’s lives through cinema storytelling. Tiffany Mitchell lived on Deer Isle for her early years and attended Deer Isle-Stonington High School because she knew most of the kids there. She worked on the yearbook, in peer support, and played alto saxophone in the band. She’s off to Boston to attend Simmons College this fall. As a possible career, teaching English is her current dream. Tiffany learned in high school to be yourself. We will find her serving up fried clams at the Bagaduce Lunch for her 3rd summer. Maine is a bit too quiet for her, but she may settle somewhere in southern New England. Jenny Powell came from Connecticut with family and a few horses and started 2nd grade at BES. She loves riding and has competed for several years. A National Honor Society member in her junior year, she believes you should work your hardest because “You only get out what you put into it.” Next year Jen will defer entering the College of Charleston, SC, for one year to do some competitive riding. In college she hopes to major in political science. You’ll find her working as a dock attendant in South Brooksville again this summer. Nicholas Saunders loves baseball. Born in the Blue Hill hospital, he has lived all his life in Brooksville and attended BES and GSA, where he played soccer, basketball, and baseball (pitcher and shortstop). Admitting that he struggled in his first year, his advice to an entering freshman at GSA is “Keep an open mind and learn how to balance your time.” Once he did that, things worked out. For the summer he will do carpentry jobs in the area, and this fall will attend Div 3 St. Joseph’s College in Standish, Maine, and will play baseball for them. Lilian Thorpe moved from Indiana in 7th grade to stay and attended the Bay School. For two years at GSA she played tennis and for four years participated in Spanish Club. Classical piano has been her outside pursuit for eleven years, but in 3rd grade, filmmaking caught her fancy. In 7th grade, a gift of a video camera allowed her to make films. Her films have won awards at the Maine Media Workshop in Rockport. Lilian will attend Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, to study film. At GSA she has learned to work hard, but not to worry so much, relax some, and take time for yourself. (Maybe Lilian and Dylan will soon be making the Netflix list. Good luck!) PRSRT SRT U.S. Postage PAID Brooksville, ME Permit #6 The Newsletter of Brooksville Friends & Neighbors Established June 2007 Published quarterly — Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter ECR WSS Brooksville Friends & Neighbors (BFN) P.O. Box 101 Brooksville, ME 04617-0101 Phone: 326-0916 Newsletter By: Joan MacCracken, Becky Poole, Judy Tredwell, Peter Beaven, Jean Webster, Katherine Clifford, Sheila Moir, Gail Page, Leslie Moore Check it out! www.brooksvillemaine.org The Brooksville Breeze originated as a newletter to increase community communication, thus supporting the mission of Brooksville Friends & Neighbors (BFN) to strengthen and encourage local acitivities that promote health, both physical and emotional. The Breeze welcomes your comments, suggestions and donations to offset costs of printing and mailing. It is published four times a year. Tell us who you are: Brooksville Friends & Neighbors, P.O. Box 101, Brooksville, ME 04617 BROOKSVILLE’s FABULOUS FARMERS’ MARKET RETURNS JUNE 2 Name Address City State Zip Phone E-mail Summer Resident? Don’t Live in Brooksville? To receive The Breeze by e-mail, send us your e-mail and a donation. No e-mail? Let’s talk about other options. 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